Social Entrepreneurship
Doing Well While Doing Good
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Computers, portable digital devices, social networking, crowdfunding, and other digital technologies make it possible for social entrepreneurs to solve problems far from their own neighborhoods. This unique resource provides detailed information about using new technology and online information to help readers turn dreams of a better world into reality. Solving social problems is easier with the information and resources to plan ahead, organize a team, get the word out, and find the money needed to make it happen. Readers will find out exactly how to do all of these things right here.
Blogger or Journalist? Evaluating What Is the Press in the Digital Age
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
The rise of the Internet has brought with it many changes to our culture. It has widened the span of communication. Readers explore the still very new world of citizen journalism that has developed with people's ability to report news in an instant. Questions such as what defines a journalist, how can a regular citizen gain the necessary credibility to report the news, and more are answered.
Constructing, Using, and Interpreting Spreadsheets
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
There are certain computer skills that are both essential to employability and incredibly useful in everyday life. The ability to construct, use, and interpret spreadsheets is one of these skills. Familiarity with spreadsheet programs is an increasingly obligatory prerequisite for any office job, as is the creation, maintenance, and effective interpretation of spreadsheets and their data. Spreadsheets are an essential professional and academic asset and a useful personal tool. This book tells readers everything they need to know to get started creating spreadsheets for various tasks and utilities; plugging in relevant data; maintaining, updating, and revising the spreadsheet; and drawing accurate conclusions from the processed data. With step-by-step instructions for various standard tasks, this book makes working with spreadsheets both fun and easy.
Hackathons
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
In the computer age, technology is advancing at lightning speeds. All over the world today, the brightest minds gather to solve problems and create exciting new ideas in hackathons. At these events, a wide range of people competes, collaborates, and creates like never before. In this title, readers will learn about the different kinds of hackers and what to expect at a hackathon. They'll also discover what organizations run hackathons, the different subjects the events cover, and how they can benefit by attending one. Skills and advice for operating one's own hackathon are also included.
Bit Rot
Preserving The Documents Most Important To You
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
These days, pictures, music, schoolwork, business documents, and all kinds of personal information are stored digitally. As the uses of computers, tablets, and smart phones expand, the loss of data due to user error, computer malfunctions, or deliberate theft has become a bigger problem than ever before. This title explores what is meant by bit rot and how it can affect users of technology. It also verses readers on the best ways to protect and store their data. Computer files, e-books, mp3s, and digital photographs aren't going away any time soon. This guide helps reader keep what matters to them safe and secure.
Smart Machines and the Internet of Things
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
The interconnectivity of appliances, everyday objects, and people to the Web is called the "Internet of Things." Electric cars are being made smart and fast with software updates that are pushed to them wirelessly. Electrical outlets can be tuned off from anywhere in the world, and people can even track the amount of energy the plugs are using by looking at a cell phone. This insightful volume describes some of these intriguing state-of-the-art devices, including tracking devices to monitor endangered animals or help find lost pets and sensors in water treatment facilities that can help control a city's water supply.
Tweeting With a Purpose
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
It may be hard to believe that 140 characters are enough to get a message out to millions of people, but Twitter's users do so every minute. Twitter is vital in many different spheres. This book introduces readers to how they, too, can tweet purposefully. Users can promote their personal brands, network for jobs and gigs, or leverage the platform for political change, education, or worthy causes. This book offers young people ways to amplify their voices and build community via this dynamic tool, while staying focused and safe.
Research Project Success Using Digital Tools
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
This helpful instructional title goes far beyond the simplistic directive "Just look online!" that many young researchers may be given when they are assigned school research. With so many resources online, ranging from academically rigorous to sloppy and suspect, the modern young researcher needs to be armed with strategies and tools that will yield the best information and help him or her organize and present that information effectively. In a modern school environment, the digital tools discussed in this book go a long way toward insuring success and excellence.
Strategic Searches Using Digital Tools
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
With computers, tablets, and smartphones offering us access to online information just about anywhere we have Wi-Fi or cell service, the next step is to make those searches as efficient as possible. Readers will get a step-by-step overview of how to make the most of their search activities so they can get the information they want and need with just a few keystrokes, swipes, or clicks. Tips and tricks will help readers get started right away. This instructive resource is a must have for teens starting to work on research papers.
Twitter and Microblogging
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Allowing instantaneous communication to people anywhere in the world in 140-character bursts of inspiration, Twitter provides personal communication between friends, family, and acquaintances, is a means for celebrities to connect with their fans, and is a platform for micro-blogging, advertising, and the reporting of breaking news. Learning to use such a powerful and far-reaching form of communication efficiently and safely requires knowing the tricks, the tools, and the responsibilities involved. This book provides exactly the guidance necessary to maximize the wide-ranging utility of Twitter, while alerting readers to the dangers posed by over-sharing as well as the cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking, and flaming that micro-blogging and other forms of digital communication can foster.
Google And You
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
It has become almost impossible to imagine a world without Google, the most popular and powerful Internet search engine that as revolutionized the way we seek and locate information. This book seeks to show students how to get the most out of Google-with its search engine, maps, videos, news, docs, and email features-when working on school projects, research papers, and multimedia presentations. Google helps users navigate through this bewildering universe of knowledge, but this book will provide readers with a greater degree of guidance, showing them how to harness Google's various abilities to locate exactly what they're looking for. Discussions of online netiquette-including the avoidance of cyberbullying, plagiarism, and inappropriate content-round out the discussion.
Copyright and Digital Ethics
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
The Internet brought about a total revolution in the world of information. Today, anyone with an Internet connection can access a wealth of information online. As our access to data increases, copyright laws struggle to keep up. This book examines how copyright law has been applied to online content, the emerging open source movement, fair use, proper citation practice, and the ethics of using and citing online information. It is an invaluable resource for today's students.
Netiquette
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
While digital and computer technology have advanced by leaps and bounds in the past twenty years, allowing individuals to conduct a wide array of personal, educational, and professional activities on personal computers and hand-held devices, the social rules for computer and Internet use have not yet caught up to the technology. Issues of basic civility and digital etiquette, or "netiquette," increasingly arise, with no clear guidelines in place to help people police their own behavior when online and monitor the activities of others in the "digital community." This book provides solid guidelines for young computer users to follow to help them avoid giving or receiving offense and even more serious forms of online trouble. Covering everything from the proper use of library computer terminals and Wi-Fi cafes to digital plagiarism, this book instructs readers in how to promote civil online behavior, alert the appropriate authorities to inappropriate or harassing behavior, and create a safe, welcoming, and polite cyber-community.
Big Data and You
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
The collection, organization, and analysis of how people use information technology is commonly referred to as "Big Data." And companies, schools, the government, and other organizations are harnessing it to do their jobs more effectively. This volume is a complete guide to Big Data: what it is, how it is used, and how it will continue to be used. Readers can better understand how Big Data plays a part in their lives today and how it will continue to be an enormous factor in the future.
New Research Techniques
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
The online world has opened up dozens of avenues for finding reliable answers to research questions. While the Web provides super-fast access to reliable academic and commercial sources, some of the best resources for research don't appear in Web search results. A great deal of information is contained in subscription and library databases. Students learn about some of the new research techniques and tools that are available for online searching in this compelling and straightforward presentation. Among the topics covered are browser tools and search engine toolbars, browser add-ons, Web mashups, e-mail and text alerts, RSS feeds and readers, Boolean operators, and refining research results
The Distortion of Facts in the Digital Age
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Disinformation is as old as lying. Today, the Internet is moving toxic information faster than ever, to more people than ever, making it potentially more harmful than ever. Fortunately, the Internet can also furnish the antidote––facts. In this compelling volume, readers discover what the scope of disinformation is, why people distort facts, who the masters of disinformation are and how their methods work, the difference between fact and opinion, and how to develop skills to deal with the distortion of facts online. Whether people are doing research work, making everyday decisions, shopping, or just browsing, it pays to recognize digital dishonesty. There are lots of tools that help people separate fact from deception, and new ones are appearing every day. This cogent book aids readers in finding and using these tools.
Designing, Building, and Maintaining Web Sites
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Nearly every organization, business, and school has its own Web site. Many individuals have their own site as well. Readers who are interested in making their own Web site will find that the process of doing so draws on a number of different skills, and can be a valuable learning experience. This book introduces readers to the fundamentals of planning, designing, building, and publishing their own Web site. It simplifies complex concepts and encourages web site creation and experimentation.
Understanding the World of User-Generated Content
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Today, more people than ever before are participating in the online world. It's relatively simple for anyone to create their own Web sites and blogs, post music and videos online, provide feedback on the sites they visit, and even help edit online encyclopedias. This book provides a clear and comprehensive guide to the vast world of user-generated information found online. The reader will be shown how to determine good information from bad, as well as how to participate in Web 2.0-or the interactive online world.
Designing, Building, and Maintaining Websites
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Most organizations, businesses, and schools, and even many individuals, have their own websites. Building a website draws on a number of different skills, and thus can be a valuable learning experience for students. This book introduces readers to the fundamentals of planning, designing, building, and launching their own websites. It simplifies complex concepts and encourages website creation and experimentation. It updates an earlier website-building edition with new guidance on cutting-edge technologies, including those for the mobile platforms that are more important than ever. Readers will also benefit from new content that acknowledges the importance and impact of social media.
Graphic Design and Desktop Publishing
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Today's powerful computers and advanced software a have made professional graphic design and publishing tools available to users of all ages. This book will introduce readers to the fundamentals of digital graphic design and desktop publishing. Students will be shown how they can utilize digital tools to bring their ideas to fruition.
Creating Content
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Today's world is one where information can be shared instantly via the Internet, and new ways of communicating are being created every day. This book shows already Internet-savvy teens how to fully maximize fun elements like widgets, blogs, and wikis. Interesting facts are shared in sidebars and the resource section is fully loaded with suggestions for further exploration.
Gaming
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
With sophisticated graphics that rival the latest 3D Hollywood release and a complexity of narrative that equals the most elaborately imagined worlds found in fantasy novels, gaming has become big business, mass entertainment, and high art. Indeed, the gaming experience is so involving and enticing that it can pose some dangers. Repetitive motion disorders, sedentary lifestyles, computer/gaming addiction, loss of perspective, exposure to graphic violence, and even cyberbullying can all result from too much time spent sitting in front of a computer. This book celebrates the truly awe-inspiring experiences, environments, and simulations modern gaming offers as well as the cognitive and developmental benefits they convey, while also highlighting the very real dangers that arise from excessive or inappropriate play.
Wikipedia, 3.5 Million Articles & Counting
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Wikipedia-the massive, ever-expanding, and entirely free online encyclopedia largely written, edited, and managed by volunteers-has transformed the way people seek information. Many teachers and librarians scorn it, due to its entries' frequent errors and biases. An even-handed and realistic approach to Wikipedia is presented, acknowledging serious flaws and shortcomings as a research tool, while also explaining the value in it. The book addresses how users can lodge complaints about a Wikipedia entry, how entries are corrected, and how one goes about writing an entry. Finally, the latest thinking of teachers, librarians, and school administrators regarding Wikipedia will be discussed, as will their suggestions for how best to use the online encyclopedia as a legitimate research tool.
Branding
Creating an Identity on the Web
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Whether you're in business or just enjoying some free time on social media, creating an identity on the Web is more important than ever. Readers will learn how companies of all shapes and sizes use the Internet to form an image and increase sales. This instructive volume also provides examples of how one's personal brand online is more important than one might think. Myths and facts dispel some common misconceptions about online branding, and 10 Great Questions to Ask a Social Media Specialist will help readers focus on the important aspects of their online presence.
Databases
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Databases allow anyone to meticulously organize and maintain their information. Police departments, airports, libraries-nearly every organization that wants to make sense of large amounts of information utilizes databases. This book takes often-complex information and makes it simple and accessible for the reader. It provides students with a solid understanding on this fascinating topic, and will guide the reader through the basics of how to get a start on database design.
Creating Electronic Graphic Organizers
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Graphic organizers-an important tool in both school and business for visual learning and information processing-are no longer confined to posters, flip pads, or the pages of reports. Graphic organizers have gone digital. Now diagrams, charts, and other "mind maps" can be generated, posted, viewed, interpreted, and presented on computer. This means that they can be used on one's web site, inserted into a multimedia presentation, and revised or updated with new information on a daily basis. This book is an essential guide for students in how to design, create, and use digital graphic organizers, from the most basic (timelines, pie charts, step-by-step charts) to the more complex and sophisticated (Venn diagrams, flow charts, KWHL charts). This book gives readers an edge in mastering and using these invaluable tools effectively.
Snap and Share
Exploring The Potential Of Instagram And Other Photo And Video Apps
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. If that's true, then what are a thousand pictures worth? Today, with the use of mobile smartphones and similar devices containing miniaturized cameras, snapping and sharing photos has never been easier-or more commonplace. Playing around with photo and video apps like Instagram, Vine, Flickr, and Snapchat has become a natural part of teenage life. But along with the fun comes responsibility. This volume guides readers through simple steps for using photo and video apps and offers ideas for unleashing creativity. It also addresses the potential risks of using these apps, such as cyberbullying, and suggests a code of conduct that should be enforced whenever anyone snaps and shares.
Bitcoins
Navigating Open-source Currency
by Barbara Gottfried Hollander
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Digital technology is advancing all the time, and how we pay for things is getting high tech, too. Instead of paper money and coins, or even credit and debit cards, this book introduces Bitcoins, a currency made up of bits and bytes. Readers will learn the essentials about Bitcoins, the sometimes-turbulent history of this open source currency, as well as examples of how it is used and when it has the most practical value. This intriguing resource reviews some of Bitcoins' pros and cons and discusses the future of this fascinating financial tool.
Music and Video Streaming
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
This succinct volume breaks down the complex mechanisms behind audio and video streaming and explains them in terms a middle-school-aged audience can understand. This book introduces the concept of streaming and then explains how it works and what its uses are. Along the way, important digital terminology and concepts are introduced, such as bandwidth, codecs, plugins, and protocol. A discussion of Internet safety and how to produce and share streaming content wraps up this enlightening text.
Incredible Projects Using 3d Printing
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Though they may sound like something out of science fiction, 3-D printers are not only real but also increasingly common. Popular with both the Maker Movement and businesses, the 3-D printer has multiple uses. It's great for making prototypes and creating cool projects. Some experts even believe that additive manufacturing-or 3-D printing on the industrial level-is the wave of the future. Readers will learn about a variety of 3-D printing methods, weigh the pros and cons of 3-D printing, and discover 3-D printing's applications in fields as diverse as fashion, food, and medicine.
Getting the Most Out of Mooc
Massive Open Online Courses
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Alternative education models are becoming increasingly popular with students who may not be able to afford the high tuitions of traditional brick-and-mortar schools or commit to their rigid schedules. Requiring only an Internet connection and minimal software, Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, are amongst the most accessible distance learning programs. They often offer free enrollment and a wide range of courses from top schools across the globe to students in even the remotest of areas. This volume evaluates the pros and cons of MOOCs in relation to traditional education and the exciting possibilities they open for students of all ages.
Internet Surveillance and How to Protect Your Privacy
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Today, whether it's banks, governments, schools, or businesses, they all store data digitally. Keeping our personal details off the internet is nearly impossible. While it's difficult to avoid having some personal information online, readers can take steps to secure it from prying eyes. This guide provides common-sense tips about how to avoid online theft and the mining of data by advertisers and others. In easy-to-follow steps, readers will also learn how to safeguard their computers and other digital devices. With this guide, readers can keep their private info private.
Making the Most of Crowdfunding
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
The Internet has revolutionized the way people communicate and do business. It has even affected how people fundraise and seek investors. This introduction to crowdfunding explains how innovative entrepreneurs are using the power of collective groups to drum up interest in and fund their products and services. Readers receive a stimulating and highly practical overview of how different crowdfunding sites work, which site may be best for their project, the kind of work involved in becoming a crowdfunding success, and what they can realistically expect from a crowdfunding experience.
Creating and Building Your Own YouTube Channel
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
YouTube is one of the biggest websites on the internet. This video powerhouse provides entertainment, information, and education to millions of viewers. This clear, complete guide shows readers how to create their own videos and YouTube channels. In these pages, skills and steps on how to build your channel will help readers get started. The text also covers tips on how to use social media to promote their channel and build a solid audience base. Also covered are timely issues such as respecting copyrights and avoiding cyberbullying. Every user can benefit from creating their own YouTube channel. Here, readers will learn how.
Netiquette
A Student's Guide To Digital Etiquette
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
There is growing concern over how we behave and interact online, from fighting, incivility, rudeness, and even criminal behaviors like cyberbullying, to simply adapting old forms of etiquette to a new landscape. This book, updated from an earlier resource, provides younger readers an introduction to this timely topic, a subject that they are both engaged in forming themselves as "digital natives," and one they also often require guidance in. It informs readers about the polite and productive use of social media networks and mobile platforms and discusses pressing issues of etiquette within families, among friends, and in educational settings.
Web-based Digital Presentations
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Gone are the days when students stood in front of the class with a notecard, a photocopied pie chart, and a poster board collage. Today, so many innovative-and free-resources are available on the Internet or a standard computer, that students can give presentations worthy of a boardroom or TED talk. Providing tips on finding free online photos, maps, and other art; putting together a multimedia report; and speaking in front of a group, this handy resource will help propel any reader's report straight to the top of the class.
Kickstarter and Patreon
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
It's a common word to hear these days-crowdfunding. Websites such as Kickstarter and Patreon are bringing businesses and creators together with donators and investors. This guide explains the basics of how crowdfunding works. This title will inform readers of how Kickstarter, the world's largest crowdfunding platform, works and about some of the projects it has made possible. All the steps readers need to follow to start a Kickstarter campaign or create content and find supporters on Patreon are covered in depth. Furthermore, the text uncovers well-known campaigns and content-and teaches readers how to bring their own ideas to life.
Managing Your Digital Footprint
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
With the explosion of communication devices tied to the Internet, teens need guidance in healthy online participation more than ever. One key requirement for digital literacy is learning to manage one's "digital footprint." This book raises readers' awareness of the array of information they can leave behind when using technology and the Web. The book empowers teens to behave in ways that protect their physical and psychological health; identities and property; and social and professional reputations well into the future.
Physical Computing and Makerspaces
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
The urge to experiment and create has been strong in humankind since time immemorial. So, too, has the need to gather together for the greater good. Makerspaces, where innovators meet to advance technologies through physical computing, answer the call of both these motivating factors. Once a wave of the future, makerspaces are quickly becoming a fixture in the here and now. This book lets students discover where to find, and how to make the best use of, these creative spaces.
Foursquare and Other Location-Based Services
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Foursquare and other, similar location-based services are no longer merely sophisticated toys that allow users to broadcast their location, but have transformed into real marketing opportunities. Foursquare can also be an important way for teens and parents to always be in contact and aware of each other's present location. This book introduces readers to all the surprising things that location-based services allow users to do, as well as some of the dangers and pitfalls associated with the technology that should be avoided.
Cyberbullying and the Law
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Each year, the sense of urgency to halt the growth of cyberbullying increases. As more cyberbullying cases and their consequences are brought to national attention, many states are instituting anti-bullying legislation. In addition, many people are calling for stronger legal penalties for bullying behaviors. The role of American law in protecting young people in cyberspace is explained as well as how laws related to bullying are being interpreted in court cases. Teens learn what rights they have, what powers schools possess, and what parts of the law are still in flux. Perhaps most important, they learn how to be activists rather than victims, effectively advocating for themselves and others.
Blogs
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Self-expression is incredibly important, especially during the teen years, and with the advent of blogging, teen writers can share their thoughts, ideas, and creative writing with the entire world and create a supportive and nurturing online community. Blogs can be enhanced with photos, artwork, video, and audio, creating a rich, multi-layered, multimedia expression of the self. Yet there are dangers associated with blogging, as with all other forms of digital communication--over-sharing, cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking, flaming, inappropriate language and images, and unlawful use of other people's content. This book covers all of the information needed to set up and maintain a blog, build a friendly community of fellow bloggers, and avoid all of the very real dangers of life in cyberspace,
Enhancing Your Academic Digital Footprint
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Everyone needs to be aware of the kind of information that is left behind when one uses technology-whether it's a smartphone or laptop-and the Internet. This volume enables readers to enhance their academic reputations online. They learn what constitutes an academic digital footprint and how various employers and institutions use the Web to research people they might want to hire, admit to college, or offer an internship to. Readers examine how to evaluate their digital footprints, strengthen them, and protect their privacy. They learn approaches for promoting their academic achievements, interests, and volunteer experiences. Starting an educational blog, participating in online writing contests, compiling an ePortfolio, and writing about charitable community causes are just some of the activities teens can use to build a positive online presence.
File Sharing
Rights and Risks
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Millions of files containing songs, videos, software, documents, and other materials are exchanged online every day through file sharing. While some file sharing is legal, in other cases people copy and trade copyrighted products such as music and movies without paying for them. This title presents the basic facts, history, and legal and ethical dimensions of the file-sharing debate. Readers learn about key copyright issues for sharing online materials, including how to avoid piracy, exchange files legally, and protect their own creative work, knowledge that is critical for 21st-century digital citizens.
Cited!
Identifying Credible Information Online
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
In an online world where the amount of information seems to increase exponentially even week to week, student researchers can find it an ever-greater challenge to distinguish credible, vetted content from hearsay and misinformation. This volume on citing internet sources will help them determine which online sources are trustworthy and which are not. Its lively and engaging instructional tips will help readers successfully negotiate the vast landscape of information out there. They will produce quality research for papers now and beyond in their academic careers with skill and confidence.
Cybersecurity
Protecting Your Identity and Data
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Internet security breaches have been in the news of late. Organizations, governments, businesses, and individual internet users are all at risk. This book introduces readers to the importance of cybersecurity and addresses the current risks from hackers, viruses and other malware, identity thieves, and other online perils. It provides concrete measures that young digital natives can take to protect themselves and their computers, smartphones, and other devices. This volume's lively, cautionary narrative and useful tips will help readers effectively defend their identities and data.
Social Networking
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Networking online is here to stay. It's one of the quickest ways to connect with others who wish to be found. Just as with every form of communication, online social networking has its own rules and etiquette. This book informs readers on the ways to use networking sites properly and to their advantage, and how to avoid making common mistakes.
Social Activism Online
Getting Involved
Part of the Digital and Information Literacy series
Once dependent upon leaflets, phone lists, and word of mouth, social activism is now greatly facilitated by the worldwide reach and instantaneous communication of the Web. The ways in which people become aware of issues, join causes, and wage battles for their beliefs have radically changed. Community building now occurs in both actual and virtual environments, and local causes can be linked up with national and international partners, leading to greater exposure and increased political muscle. Everything that a budding activist needs to know about fighting for a cause in the digital age is included in this comprehensive guide.